Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
If you love my #1 post, The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, then you’ll love this BBQ pulled pork version too! With simple seasoning, this recipe takes only minutes to prepare and cooks all day for fall apart tender, juicy pork oozing with tangy sweet sauce.
For all of you lovers of BBQ I’ve got a recipe for you! Perfect for a family dinner that you know your kids will devour and equally as perfect for taking along to a pot luck, this Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork is quick and easy and comes out perfectly every time.
You only need 5 ingredients and less than 10 minutes to assemble this meal in your slow cooker. So much easier than smoking a grill all day and the results are just as amazing.
Cook on low for at least 8 hours until the pork becomes fall apart tender.
You can serve this up as sandwiches, wraps, salads and more for a versatile meal your family and friends will love.
Ingredients Needed
- pork shoulder, also known as pork butt – can be bone-in or boneless
- herb and garlic seasoning (check the ingredients, if yours does not contain salt, add 1/2 teaspoon to recipe)
- chicken broth or stock
- apple cider vinegar
- your favorite BBQ sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray’s because it has great flavor and is nice and thick)
How to Make Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
- remove packaging and any netting from the pork – if there is a large amount of fat you can trim a little off if desired
- season well with herb and garlic seasoning
- Place in slow cooker
- Whisk together sauce ingredients
- Pour all of sauce over pork, cover and cook
Cooking Notes
This will produce a lot of liquid as it cooks, no need to add any extra other than the sauce
If you are cooking a very large piece of pork and need it to cook more quickly, you can cut it into 2-4 smaller chunks
If using a pork shoulder with bone, carefully remove all bone pieces before shredding
What temperature to cook pulled pork?
- pulled pork, whether made in the oven, on the grill, or in the slow cooker, is best cooked on a low and slow temperature
- somewhere in the range of 190 to 250 degrees F depending on the method used
- another important temperature to note is the internal temp of the pork shoulder
- to shred easily pork should reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees F (I use an Instant Read Thermometer)
How to Shred a Pork Shoulder
How to Shred a Pork ShoulderWhen the pork is done it should almost be falling apart. Use tongs to remove it to a separate bowl.
Use forks or meat claws to shred by starting in the middle and pulling apart until fully shredded.
Use a ladle to add back a little of the juice left over from cooking, but not too much or it will become soggy.
If the pork does not shred easily, it likely is not cooked enough. Return to slow cooker until it reaches an internal temp of 205 degrees F.
What can you make with pulled pork?
What can you make with pulled pork?So many things!!
- regular sandwiches like these (I love to top them with coleslaw!)
- Mac & Cheese
- tacos
- nachos
There are so many possibilities!
Do you let pork rest before pulling?
yes! It’s really best to let it rest for 15-20 minutes to let the juices redistribute before cutting or pulling the meat. You can cover loosely with butcher paper or foil.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons herb and garlic seasoning
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Rub pork shoulder with seasoning and place in slow cooker
- Mix together bbq sauce, vinegar and broth and add to slow cooker
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 until pork reaches internal temperature of 205 degrees
- Remove pork and shred
- Add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the juices back to pork and discard the rest
- Add additional BBQ sauce if desired
Notes
- you can use bone-in or boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)
- if the herb and garlic seasoning you use does not contain salt, add 1/2 teaspoon to recipe
- cook pork to an internal temp of 205 degrees F
- pork should shred easily when fully cooked
- remove all bones (if applicable) before shredding
This was very good. I did have one issue- I cooked it on Low and after 8 hours the meat was very tender but parts of it were at 197 degrees. So I waited another hour, still 197, then another hour- still 197. The heat just wasn’t traveling above the liquid line (the liquid was simmering). So I broke it up so all the meat was below the liquid line and gave it another 30 minutes. The recipe is so adamant on 205, but if I just went by tenderness I could have taken it out after 8 hours. It came out a bit too tender. Any more and it would have been jelly. Fortunately while it was a little too tender for what I like- it was extremely tasty. I’ll make again but next time I’ll cook on high for the shorter time.
is it possible your thermometer is broken? i can literally watch the temperature go up by the second with mine, it sounds like yours is capping off at 197 and was probably actually much higher.
I have tried a multiple pulled pork recipes all with varying degrees of success. Your recipe blows every other one way out of the water. It’s extremely easy and pretty much fool proof. I don’t feel the need to try another pulled pork recipe ever again. I do have one question, however. Do you recommend freezing this? What do you think would be the best way to do so?
Yes, you can freeze it! I like to store in portions so we can have smaller meals with the leftovers (or serve on salads, etc.). Just make sure you remove all air from the freezer bag and store flat so it doesn’t take up much space. Thaw in fridge overnight, heat and add extra sauce to serve if desired.
Hi there, tried it at my daughter’s and she made it in the slow cooker. Delicious and easy. Can I make it in an instant pot?
Here is my Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe: Amazing Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Im new here.Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will let u know how well it turns out.I’m surprised how rude people are in their comments…
Thanks again. 😊
it came out so tender and juicy. For my first time trying it came out great, lots of compliments!
what can i sub for apple cider vinegar?
thanks!
Any vinegar you like!
Just made this today. I didn’t have the herb and garlic seasoning, so I added a sprinkle of parsley, minced onion, and garlic. This is the best recipe I have found for pulled pork. It is super moist and tastes delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Haven’t tried the recipe yet! But how long would the left over last in the freezer?
If you can vacuum wrap them or at least remove as much air as possible then I find they will typically last around 3 months.
Hi Jennifer, please can you confirm which is correct. At the start you say about the sauce & ti put half of it in the slow cooker but in the Instructions you say to put it all in, which is correct? If it is just half the sauce what do you do with the other half?
You will pour it all in.
I am using a pork loin roast. Is there any cooking time difference between the shoulder or a loin? Sorry for the question, just still new at cooking with pork.
Your results with pork loin may vary a bit, I find since it is much leaner it doesn’t shred as easily. Do you have a meat thermometer. I suggest cooking the loin until it reaches 205 degrees F.
I don’t think she can “dumb it down” anymore than it already is. Think, try common sense, and if your still unsure maybe order out. Good luck.
Did I miss something? Why make this comment?
No need to be rude; maybe ask a family member or friend for a hug. Good luck.